Halloween Buzz

The following is Halloween-themed information that I’ve found in my inbox this week.

TIPS FOR A HEALTHY TRICK OR TREAT

Nutritionist and registered dietician Mary Gocke from the Center for Health and Healing in New York warns against feeding kids too much candy as over-consumption of sugar can lead to decreased immune function, mood swings, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Mary suggests the following tips for parents to make sure their kids enjoy Halloween without suffering from the effects of too much sugar:

Have a big dinner – make sure your kids have a healthy dinner before going out trick or treating, being full means they’ll be less likely to gorge on candy later that night

Nuts and cheese – keep tasty treats such as almonds and string cheese handy while trick or treating and make sure your kids snack on these low-glycemic foods throughout the night, it’ll help lower their blood sugar.

Drink water – water not only helps wash away the sugar from the teeth, helping kids avoid cavities, but it also helps combat blood sugar levels

CRAFTS

FamilyFun magazine has long been a go-to source for fun, inexpensive and simple crafts for kids. With the recent introduction of FamilyFun craft kits, it’s even easier to take activities from the magazine’s pages straight to kids’ hands. Available at select Wal-Mart stores nationwide, the new line of 9 $5.00 Halloween-themed kits contain everything kids need to craft by themselves. Kits include: Creepy Creatures, Pumpkin Pals, Masks, Tattoos, Treat Bags, Halloween Stepping Stone, Tie-Dye, Balloons, and Spooktacular Puppets.

Also, if you’re short on inspiration when it comes to costumes, food, or party plans, the special FamilyFun Halloween issue is your go-to-guide for celebrating in style. It’s packed with easy ideas for Halloween parties, clip art decorations and lots more. It too late to get yours by mail, but you also have the option of purchasing the digital edition of FamilyFun Halloween INSTANTLY.

MOBILE APPS

Angry Birds Halloween – rhe Halloween-themed version of the popular games features 45 levels of pig and pumpkin-smashing action!

Ghosted – gives people a way to add realistic looking ghost images to their photos. Over 50 spirit and ghost images to choose from. Scarfaced is also available.

Singing Pumpkins – cute app that lets you lead a group of pumpkins in singing some Halloween tunes.

These next two apps provide educational value to children in the form of fun, interactive experiences for play and learning. Your little witches and goblins will be learning to read while being entertained this Halloween season!

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin – a very unique pumpkin delivers a special message of tolerance and self-acceptance that’s just right for Halloween…and every day of the year.

What Was I Scared Of? – the Dr. Seuss classic short-story is now available as an eBook for your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Perfect for Halloween or any time of year, this story delivers a timeless message about fear and tolerance.

ON TV THIS WEEKEND

PBS KIDS
Looking for fun and festive Halloween shows for the kids? Check local listings for air dates and times… PBS KIDS’ lineup of Halloween-themed episodes includes:

CURIOUS GEORGE – “Creatures of the Night”

DINOSAUR TRAIN –”Night Train”

MARTHA SPEAKS – “Scaredy Cat”

SUPER WHY! – “The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Halloween”

SID THE SCIENCE KID – “My Mushy Banana”

WORDWORLD – “A Kooky Spooky Halloween / Sheep’s Halloween Costume”

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG – “Boo”

BARNEY & FRIENDS™ – “Guess Who? / Sweet Treats”

CAILLOU – “After Dark!”

ARTHUR – “Falafelosophy / Tales of Grotesquely Grim Bunny”

FETCH! WITH RUFF RUFFMAN – “Ruffman Manor is Haunted!”

WORDGIRL –“Tobey’s Tricks and Treats”

CYBERCHASE – “The Halloween Howl”

The Hub
The Hub, which rebranded from Discovery Kids earlier this month, is bringing viewers a Haunted Hub weekend with a special holiday lineup of “spooktacular” programming the whole family can enjoy. The three-day Halloween weekend of scary fare includes a special two-part sneak preview of the upcoming Hub Original Series “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting: The Series” from the best-selling author and master of scary tales. Visit www.hubworld.com for a complete schedule of Halloween programming on The Hub. These are some highlights:

ONLINE FUN

Fantage
Fantage, the virtual playground made just for kids, is throwing a Halloween party this week where kids can buy and show off their costumes, go on a ghost hunt, and play trivia games for prizes. First in the series of special events is trick-or-treating, in which users can visit shops and seek out jack-o-lanterns to play Halloween Q&A. Fantage fans can also enjoy the Ghost Hunt, which will also have more prizes in store for users who “haunt” ghosts successfully and bring them back to The Castle. In addition, users can enter a magical pumpkin for the Costume Battle, in which stars are awarded for choosing the most popular Halloween costume. As a bonus, Fantage users who bring their pet with them in the magical pumpkin will receive even more stars. New Halloween-themed backgrounds with spider webs, pumpkins and ghosts will also become available for users to continue enjoying Fantage fun.

Joy Berry Books has launched a new product focused on keeping kids safe (and happy!) during Halloween. The Taking the Scary Out of Halloween Kit is being sold exclusively at Barnes and Noble. It Includes:

USA-grown peanuts and peanut butter are smart options because they’re packed with protein, nutrient rich and full of antioxidants. Not only do kids love the taste, they’ll also enjoy helping mom and dad make the recipes.